If at a certain moment a shortage of liquid fuel would develop, for example because the user is in an area difficultly accessible because of weather conditions, it is advantageous if the stove could also be used for combusting solid fuels, such as for example wood or coal.
To that purpose, in the known stove a separating plate is lowered from above into the collecting area, which separating plate covers the burner area. Above the separating plate solid fuel then is burned.
If it is desired to change over to burning liquid fuel again, the separating plate has to be removed which, of course, is only possible when the stove has cooled down completely. On removal there is, however, the risk that ash will enter into the burner area and the burner is made filthy, which risk also occurs when the separating plate does not completely close off the underlying burner area.